Fighting in southern Yemen continued over the weekend in Taiz, when the Saudi-backed Yemeni government accused the UAE-backed separatists of having designs on the strategically important city, leading to multiple clashes.
Government forces and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) have been fighting over several provinces in South Yemen in recent weeks, and Taiz has been seen as the key to this war from the start. Indeed, the stalemate there is a big part of why pro-Saudi forces have been stalled in the south.
The UAE backs the separatists, and the Saudis back the government, but mostly the Saudis have tried to get the two sides talking, something which so far hasn’t accomplished anything, with the government criticizing the very idea of power-sharing.
After the Saudis attacked Aden, Taiz was the first offensive, aiming to take a road leading to Sanaa. The fight over Taiz has been raging ever since, with no sign of anyone taking it over enough to push deeper north.
Love stories like this — as they cannot possibly understand the absurdity of assumptions.
I have travelled Taiz-Sana’a road. That was after a rickety plain ride from Asmara in Eritrea to Taiz. But the scary plane ride that dropped the altitude several times due to vacuums created by the mountains — was nothing compared to the road to Sana’a.
The mountains are steep going from the temperate Taiz plateau to the high altitude Sana’a plateau, where there is often snow on those peaks in the winter. The road hugs ravines, and the view down is nit much different from plane view. Holding Taiz is important -/ it belonged to North before merger. It is agricultural center growing vegetables, grains, fruit even grapes. But holding it — does not open road to Sana’a. No amount of aviation can help clear the advancing army, as it would only damage the road. There are no alternative from the South, unless one takes even more perilous Hodeidah-Sana’a road.
North is a castle. And is well defended. Saudis and UAE cannot solve the unsolvable riddle. Nobody can get the two pieces of Yemen together. And that is what the master, US wants. Without both — Bab Al-Mandeb Straits cannot be controlled by US. But wait, Saudis do not have any assurance that the Straits will remain open to Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Egypt for their Asia bound trade, and vice.versa.
Until US signs up to something — guarantees if passage, war will last forever.
“Saudi-backed Yemeni government”
“Saudi puppet regime” would be a more accurately descriptive term.